The present invention relates to a container assembling machine and more particularly to an improvement in such a machine which operates with maximum dependability to position the components of a container for assembly in an assembly station and to eject the container from the assembly station subsequent to such assembly without manual assistance and without auxiliary power.
The applicant is the patentee of several patents on container forming machines and portions thereof. Among these are U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,700 entitled "Method and Machine For Forming Containers"; U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,885 entitled "Improved Compressing Apparatus For Container Forming Machine"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,792 entitled "Mat Feeding Magazine", as well as several currently pending patent applications relating to the applicant's project of refining and improving container forming methods and apparatus from which the present invention evolved.
A variety of container forming machines have been developed for assemblying specific types of containers. Commonly, such containers, regardless of their specific form, are constructed from a pair of components which are individually formed in the machine and then assembled to form the container. For example, one such container formed by this method of construction is commonly known as the "full telescoping container". The construction of this type of container calls for the formation of a first tray component and the insertion of the component into a second lid component. Subsequently, the flaps of the lid component are sealed so that the lid component forms a lid or cover for the container.
Conventional container forming machines utilizing this method of assembly suffer from onerous deficiencies which detract from their otherwise efficient operation. Subsequent to individual assembly, the components must be positioned in nearly precise alignment for proper uniting of the components to form the container. Conventionally, such alignment must be manually performed by aligning one of the components with the other in an assembly station. Subsequent to such alignment, the machine inserts one component in the other. The assembled container is then manually ejected from the assembly station to make room for the assembling of the next container. No practical and fully dependable apparatus for fully automatic assembly of the components in the assembly station has heretofore been available. The manual manipulation described is not only onerous, monotonous and wasteful of manpower, but it is also expensive. Furthermore, the monotony involved in the operation contributes to unreliable performance and a considerable percentage of defectively formed containers.
Therefore, it has long been recognized that it would be desirable to provide a container assembling machine which is adapted to obviate the necessity for manual manipulation of container components during assembling by automatically orienting and assembling the components to form the containers and ejecting the containers from the machine and which is operated by the existing power system of the machine without requiring an auxiliary source of power.